What's The Alternative?
by GemmaJadeX-FilesSpade
Summary: So the Syndicate thought the cancer would kill Scully, don't you think they'd bring a new Agent in to spy on Mulder? What will they do when Scully survives & CSM has hidden this mystery Agents real connections to the X-Files. Follows the show. Introducing OC Jade Rileigh.
1. Prologue

This is set late season 4 during the cancer arc. I'm sure you can guess which episode :P I figured a little rewrite would be fun. So the syndicate thought the cancer would kill Scully, they're gonna want another spy, aren't they? Someone who might do a better job then Scully at keeping them informed so from my imagination came Agent Jade Rileigh. If people like the idea you'll get to find out more about her, her back story & her connections to things. I figured she could be the side of the fans, doing & saying the things we're screaming at the screen wanting to happen. If anybody has any ideas review etc & enjoy.

Disclaimer: I'm Chris Carters close relative so when he dies the X-Files is being left to me, is that a motive, I hear? *CocksGun*

XOXOX

"Agent Rileigh here to see you sir." Kim's voice sounds over the intercom.

"Send her in." A.D. Skinner instructs. He sits up straight for when she enters. Skinner was partly looking forward the day & equally dreading it. It's the newly graduated Jade Rileigh's first day as a Special Agent of the FBI & while they find her a division best suited to her abilities she had been instructed to shadow A.D. Skinner to learn about each division. She had graduated top of her class despite being the youngest student to ever go through Quantico. At 21 she had been recruited after saving a senior agent's life in a tricky situation & showing great promise despite the incident happening when she was merely 19. He was dreading the day for selfish reasons, he worked better alone & when he was around people all day he tended to get testy. Jade herself was reputed to be a delight to be around. Smart, beautiful & apparently a wicked sense of humour, all of this though apparently disappeared when someone angered her. He imagined it was what a young Dana Scully would be like, or from what he had heard from Mulder, similar to what Samantha would be like- if she was still alive of course, that was still in debate. Skinner was sure the day would definitely be an interesting one.

There was four short knocks at the door then it opened slowly & the young agent stepped through. She was short, about 5ft, & slim with almost black hair. She had changed her hair since he had last seen her, she used to have honey highlights with a single irish green highlight at the front. She looked more mature now. Her bright green eyes almost glowing.

"Good morning, sir." She spoke in a slight british accent, coming from spending a part of her childhood in England, as she sat down.

"Good morning, Agent Rileigh. How are you today?"

The rest of the morning went perfectly fine. They completed paperwork & he took her around all the divisions. Except one. She had commented on how she would have loved to meet the X-Files agents again, in different circumstances then last time to which he had replied; Maybe another time, they're out celebrating Agent Scully's birthday last he heard.

They were currently sat in the Assistant Directors office eating lunch on the couch. Skinner had personally taken her to his favorite sandwich shop just a short walk from the J. Edgar Hoover building. His assistant, Kimberly, was out having her lunch & he was expecting no-one so it worried it somewhat when the door opened. He immediately stood as the Cigarette Smoking Man entered.

"What the hell are you doing here?" He demands.

"Can't I pop in from time to time?" CSM smirks.

"Agent Rileigh, can you go finish eating in the canteen." She stands.

"Oh no, I wouldn't want to put anyone out." CSM says as he lights a cigarette.

"Smoking kills." Jade states, glaring at the old man. He chuckles & blows the smoke in her direction. She wrinkles her nose & crosses her arms over her chest. Skinner steps in front of the young agent as CSM steps closer & closes the door.

"I hear you haven't yet found a division suited to young Agent Rileigh's abilities." He paused for effect then carried on. "Luckily there's an opening in a certain... Special division. I hear Section Chief Blevins is looking for you, Assistant Director." With that he stubs his half smoked cigarette in the ashtray on Skinner's desk & leaves.

XOXOX

"Agent, its late, you need to be getting home." Walter Skinner warns his newest charge.

"With all due respect, sir, I'm an adult & I get to decide my bedtime now, & like I said earlier, not until you tell me who that man was." The young woman argues.

"Well, if you're not leaving can you shred these?" She feeds the offered documents through the shredder then speaks.

"Sir, this involves me, you cannot keep this from me." She reasons.

"Agent Rileigh, I'm going to give you your first lesson to surviving in the FBI. You don't want to get involved with men like him. Men like him have no names & unlimited power which is a deadly combination. That's all you need to know right now." He leans back in his chair only to have to lean forward again to reach the ringing phone. He speaks for a few seconds before bolting up & out the door to grab his coat & car keys. Jade sighs then retrieves her coat & runs after him.

"Sir? What's happened?" She demands, rushing to keep up with his long legs.

"A shooting at a bar. There's an agent down & military involvement."

"Sounds like you could use all the help you can get." She decides as she follows him into the elevator & glances pointedly at him.

"You know what, Agent Rileigh? I think you're right."

XOXOX

Please review & if you're gonna give me flames give me good ones! Give me flames to roast my vegetarian alternative of chicken, not flames that will burn my house down cuz if you burn my house down you're destroying my autograph off Gillian Anderson & then I'll cry.


	2. Max

Okay, so this chapter will occasionally refer to my other story. Its not major & she's just a minor character there but it still would be lovely for you to read it... *HintHint*

XOXOX

They enter the bustling bar just as an Agent known as Pendrell is wheeled out on a gurney.

"What happened? Who shot Pendrell?" Skinner asks the redheaded agent who approaches them.

"I don't know."

"I got a call about a shooting during the transfer of a federal witness."

"That's Sergeant Louis Frish, he was the intended target." She gestures & they all look at him. "There was supposed to be a federal marshall here to put the sergeant into protective custody."

The conversation stays on the case until Jade notices the bloody tissue in Agent Scully's hand & reaches for her hand lifting it up to show the A.D. as Scully sighs & glances around the room.

"I have a responsibility for the safety of the agents under my supervision, Agent Scully. I'm not going to put another agent's life in jeopardy just to keep her on the field."

"I'm fine." She tries to convince everyone, including herself.

"I suggest you make sure of that when Agent Rileigh takes you to the hospital with Agent Pendrell." He states, leaving no room for argument on either side then walks off leaving the women to get acquainted. Jade holds out her hand first.

"Agent Scully, I'm Agent Rileigh. Its a pleasure to meet you again." Scully shakes her hand while she tries to think when she saw this woman before. "It was a few months ago before I went into Quantico. I was being given a tour of the Bureau & you weren't feeling too well." She elaborates. Remembering that day, Scully blushes.

"Well, congratulations on getting through training." Scully says to break the somewhat awkward silence. Jade smiles politely.

"Shall we go."

XOXOX

Scully leads the, now dressed in normal clothes as opposed to the military jail garments, Mulder to the car & where Agent Rileigh is. Jade leans against the car watching them talk, most likely Scully updating Mulder on last nights occurrences, & waits for them to finish talking so she can introduce herself to Agent Mulder. She's only been a proper Special Agent for a few days but she likes the way it sounds. She knows its what she's meant to do. She is broken out of her musing by the two agents walking her way & talking, now they're close enough for her to hear what they're saying.

"-Oh I remember her now." Mulder states.

"Skinner has temporarily assigned her to help on this case."

"Can we trust her?"

"Can we trust anyone?"

"Touché Scully, touché."

"Let's just be wary around her."

They stop talking when they get within a few metres & Jade steps forward & holds out her hand to shake his.

"Agent Mulder, its a pleasure to meet you again." He shakes her hand firmly then nudges Scully.

"Did ya hear that Scully? I don't think I've ever been described as a pleasure before." He jests then turns serious. "I hope its a pleasure meeting you too."

To say the way Mulder & Scully acted towards her was a little icy would be an understatement. They weren't necessarily rude but they made it clear they didn't trust her one bit. The froze her out of conversations & got rid of her at every opportunity. It was starting to grate on Jade's nerves. She didn't want rainbows & hugs from them, merely a little professional respect. Which is why she took it onto herself following Agent Mulder to an airport. He did seem to find all the action. He was too busy with his conspiracy theories to even notice her follow him onto Flight 501. She watches as he finds his seat & gets comfortable before dropping into the seat right next to him.

"Agent Mulder, what a coincidence seeing you here. I was just looking for my colleague who, along with his partner, have been ignoring me. Don't suppose you know where he is, do you?"

"Must be in the next aisle." He says, not turning around to face her.

"Agent Mulder, you will look at me when speaking!" She snaps & he looks at her in shock, seeing a whole new side to the normally pleasant agent. "You may not like working with me & you may freeze me out of your conversations with Agent Scully, but at least do me the courtesy of looking at me during a conversation." She demands. "I know you may not trust me but that doesn't account for your general rudeness throughout this entire case."

"Agent Rileigh, you don't want to work with us on this case. Now get off this plane while you still have the chance."

"No. Now you're going to tell me what's happening." Mulder holds up the bag with the item in.

"They're going to come after this just like they did before & you don't want to be here when that happens because if you experience it, you're going to want to know more & you'll get too involved." The seatbelt light comes on & she smiles.

"I'm already involved Agent Mulder, & now you've piqued my curiosity & I can't leave without knowing. Even if you & Agent Scully don't want to tell me. Now who is going to come after that bag?"

"You've heard about the X-Files haven't you, Agent Rileigh?" She nods slightly. "Knowing about us, who do you think is going to come after it?"

"Aliens?" He smirks at her sceptic tone.

"Do you believe in the existence of extraterrestrials?"

"Logically I would say that there is a high chance of lifeforms from other planets existing although they most likely wouldn't look like what we see in the movies. We perceive them as human-like. Two arms, two legs, etc which is based on apes from which we are descended. If they did look like that they would not, by definition, be aliens as other planets cannot support our life forces therefore they could not possibly be descended from apes or even ape like creatures. There's more chance of them looking like jellyfish." There's total silence & she looks over at Mulder who has his mouth hanging open. "Close your mouth." She chides. "And buckle up, we're about to take-off."

XOXOX

Jade dozes off to sleep about 20 minutes into the flight & leaves Mulder to his thoughts until a man sits down on the empty seat next to them. Him & Mulder converse politely until Mulder realises who it is then the conversation turns sour & full of threats to shoot. The talking doesn't interrupt the female Agent's sleep, not even when Mulder steps past her & locks the man in the bathroom. She only jolts awake when the turbulence rocks the plane slightly & finds her colleague gone. She glances around to see him talking on a phone near the back of the plane & goes over to him.

"-Everything's pretty much going according to plan, but I think you should alert Skinner anyway, just in case. I don't want to take any chances of getting this guy off the plane & I don't think you do either. Oh & tell Skinner that Jade's fine." He smiles tightly at Jade who yawns & looks at her watch which has stopped. She taps it then frowns & shrugs. The action does not go unnoticed by Mulder who checks his own watch.

"Hey, Scully... My watch just stopped." He passes the phone to Jade & runs to a stewardess.

"Hello Agent Scully, what does that mean?" She doesn't hear Scully's response as the bathroom door slams open & someone wraps their arm around her neck & points their gun at Mulder.

"Put the bag down!" He yells & passengers start screaming. "Put it down on the floor, or else." He warns & puts the gun to Jade's temple. The passengers stop screaming as the man walks forward slowly using Jade as a human shield in case Mulder tries anything. Mulder drops the bag & backs away slowly when the plane starts to rock. The people standing almost fall over including the man with the gun & Jade takes the opportunity to elbow the man in the Solar Plexus & step out of his grip & away from him. The air starts buzzing as Jade helps Mulder up & the plane loses power & a bright white light shines in from the outside. The man approaches the two agents slowly with his gun pointed & picks up the bag.

"Drop the bag! Drop the bag! Drop it!" The airplane door starts shaking violently. "Hey! Let it go!" The man is obviously scared but doesn't drop it. "Let it go!" The man looks towards the door & Mulder tries to shoot but nothing happens. The door stops shaking & is pulled off its hinges as the bright white light envelops the cabin & Jade closes her eyes hoping for a quick & painless death.

XOXOX

Scully & Skinner run to the plane followed by four other unnamed agents to find their fellow agents still sat in their seats. Mulder calmly looking out the window & Jade staring into space looking paler then she should.

"Mulder, where is he?" Scully demands. Jade jumps at the sound of her voice & noticing that people are departing scrambles out of her seat as they talk. She falters as she stands upright & Skinner reaches out to steady her.

"Agent Rileigh?"

"I thought I was going to die, sir." She murmurs. He rubs her arms in a comforting gesture as Mulder asks him the time.

"10:56... Would you like to tell me what's going on here, Agent Mulder?"

"I don't think you want to know the answer." Scully says as she walks past them tiredly.

"Is this man on the plane?"

"I think he got the connecting flight." Mulder rubs Jade's arm as he walked past. "You did good, Rileigh."

XOXOX

"Agent Rileigh here to see you, sir." Kims voice sounds over the intercom.

"Send her in." A.D. Skinner instructs. There was four short knocks at the door then it opened slowly & the young agent stepped through, slightly less sure of herself then a few days before.

"Good morning, sir, how are you?" She asks as she sits in the chair in front of his desk.

"Fine, thank you, Agent." He waits until she's sitting comfortably then begins. "We've found a division which we think would be suited to your abilities."

"Yes, sir?"

"As you already know, Agent Scully is very ill & it has been decided that you will be joining the X-Files division to cut down Agent Scully's workload & in the devastating circumstances that she may pass on you will take on her duties. Is that clear, agent?" A frown flits across Agent Rileigh's face for a millisecond & she replies;

"Crystal clear, sir."

"Agents Mulder & Scully have been informed & are expecting you to start once they've finished their current case in Massachusetts. Dismissed."

"Thank you, sir." She makes her way over to the door but his voice stops her.

"Agent... If you need anything, you know where I am. The X-Files can be rather... Trying." He half smiles at her & she smiles gratefully at him.

"Yes, sir. Thank you, sir."

XOXOX

Please review & if you're gonna give me flames give me good ones! Give me flames to roast my vegetarian alternative of chicken, not flames that will burn my house down cuz if you burn my house down you're destroying my autograph off Gillian Anderson & then I'll cry.


	3. Agent Rileigh's First Day

Jade arrived at her new assignment early that monday morning, or at least what she thought was early. She arrived at the basement office to find that Agents Mulder & Scully had been there for a while already.

"Good morning, Agent Mulder. Agent Scully." Scully greeted her with a perfunctory nod while Agent Mulder spoke, both Agents barely glancing up at her.

"Morning, Rileigh."

"If you don't like calling me 'Agent' you should just call me Jade." She tells him coolly. "Where is my work space?" Her & Mulder look around the room as though expecting a desk to magically appear while Scully watches from her space, amused.

"Pick a spot, Agent Rileigh." Mulder states with emphasis on the 'Agent'.

"What, do they hate the X-Files so much you've been limited to only 1 desk or something?" At this Scully smiles as Mulder's is wiped off his face & he ignores her. Jade sighs as she walks over to one of the tables behind Mulder's desk & clears it off for her to use. The newspaper clippings on the wall catch her eye & she scans them reading a few here & there.

All three sit in silence apart from the odd shuffling of papers from Jade until it becomes unbearable.

"Anyone want coffee? I promise I won't poison it." Her offer is met with silence & she rolls her eyes & walks out to get some for herself. When she comes back she searches the other table for a coaster to put her mug on & finds a file with her name on.

"What the hell is this?" She demands holding it up. Scully's head shoots up as she sees the generally pleasant agent's demeanour change while Mulder, having seen her temper once before, remains calm & turns around.

"Its your file."

"No shit, sherlock." She states sarcastically. "Why do you have it? Its my personal file."

"Its not your official file." He explains & she opens it & reads some of the contents.

"No it isn't, you tried getting dirt on me. Find anything incriminating?" Mulder shakes his head stiffly.

"My sources couldn't find anything on you before age 18 except your flying records." He grudgingly admits. She smiles sadly.

"I had those files destroyed after the FBI checked them out." This time its Scully who talks.

"And why is that?" Jade turns to her.

"I don't believe that's anyone's business." She turns to Mulder. "You know, I wouldn't have minded too much if you'd read my FBI file, it has all you really need to know & more, but trying to get at my hospital records? You need help. All I hear from senior agents about you is about how fantastic you used to be & now you just run around after mutants shouting 'Trust No-One'. How are you supposed to trust people if they can't trust you? I have tried being friendly & I thought I may have proved myself a worthy agent to you on that plane but it seems like I was wrong. My mistake." She spits out in frustration.

The rest of the day passes in awkward silence, Mulder & Scully completing paperwork & being wary of Agent Rileigh who had taken to organising the filing cabinets & tidying the office. When it turns 5pm she can't get out of there fast enough & is out of the door without a word before Mulder & Scully can even stand up.

The first thing Jade did that night was go home & get changed into a pair of jeans & a green sweater. The second thing she did was walk to the closest bar to her apartment, Casey's Bar & Grill. She seated herself at the bar at the very last seat in the corner so as not to be noticed too much.

"2 shots of whiskey & a cider." She told the young blonde barmaid. The shots came first & went just as fast as they were poured. Instantly she felt looser & less inclined to care about that stunt Mulder had pulled. Her cider arrived & unlike the shots she savoured it, taking 20 minutes to finish it then ordering another. She was halfway through it when the barmaid started paying attention to her.

"That's your fourth drink & you haven't even been here an hour. Wanna spill your guts out to a person who'll forget it by morning?" Jade chuckled.

"Nice to know some people in DC are totally honest." She mused, draining her glass. The barmaid smiled & started wiping down the bar. "I'm an FBI agent & I've just been given my first assignment." She began. The barmaid gestured to her glass & Jade nodded, taking a sip when a full glass was set in front of her. "I've been assigned to 2 agents on a 'special' division, reputed to be great agents with an amazing record in solving their cases. The female agent is really sick so I'm supposed to be helping with her workload & if she dies I guess I'll take her place. Anyway the other agent is really paranoid. So much so that he pulled some strings & tried to find out everything about me. If I had a boring life I wouldn't mind so much, it would sting but I'd get over it, but there are things that people I work with shouldn't know. Work is work & my private life is just that, private. Or at least it should be." She takes another gulp of her beverage. "What the bastard doesn't know is that I was given the chance to read both of their personal files & I turned it down. Even if I was approached right now & given that chance again I'd turn it down again because I respect their privacy. They may not trust me but I don't trust them either, they need to earn the right to know that information." She chugs down the remainder of her third cider. "Two more shots, please." She orders & picks at her cuticles till they arrive & barely pays attention to the man, who has been listening to her rambling, that sits down on the stool next to hers.

"You know, if you drink like that after every bad day you're going to kill your liver." She faces the man & sneers.

"Like you give a shit. Urgh, I can't get away from you for the night?"

"You could, but this is my regular haunt." Jade raises her eyebrow.

"Spooky." Her shots arrive & she orders another cider before gulping them down.

"Those are your sixth & seventh drinks, how are you not on the floor giggling your ass off like most other women?"

"I have Irish in me, I can hold my alcohol." She tells him. "Didn't your father ever teach you to hold your liquor, Fox?" This time when her drink arrives she takes it slowly.

"Just Mulder." He states.

"We're not in work, therefore calling you Mulder is rude. Plus we're in a bar, I call you Fox people will think we're flirting & therefore leave me alone."

"Can't argue with your logic, but as soon as we leave its back to Mulder. And don't use my name too much."

"Sure thing... Fox."

XOXOX

Another cider down the line for Jade & 3 beers for Mulder & 6 more shots collectively, they stumble out the bar. Well, Mulder stumbles, Jade merely hobbles, her heeled shoes creating blisters on top of blisters.

"Typical all american male, can't hold his liquor." She mutters under her breath as she grabs his arm to stop him falling. She sits him on a nearby bollard & holds him up one handed while using the other hand to slip off her shoes & puts her wrist through the straps. "Where's your house, Fox?"

"Not Fox." He slurs. "Take me to Georgetown."

"Is that where you live?"

"No, that's where Scully lives." He states as though talking to an imbecile.

"We're not disturbing Agent Scully at 1am in the morning."

"Why not?"

"Because she's probably sleeping." She reasons. He sighs dramatically.

"Arlington." He tells her his address.

"Not far from me then." She states.

"I know." He pouts childishly. "I read it in your file." Jade smiles sadly.

"I know you did."

XOXOX

She finally gets him to his apartment safely & sits him on his couch. As she looks around the apartment searching for his bedroom, to finally realize it was full of crap without a bed, she doesn't notice the answering machine flashing furiously.

"Where do you sleep?" She finally asks him. He pats the couch. She shakes her head disapprovingly then kneels down & starts pulling his shoes off.

"Trying to undress me already?"

"You should be so lucky." She takes his tie & jacket off along with his trousers & lays him back on the couch, covering him with his indian blanket. She wipes his hair off his forehead, leaves a glass of water on the table along with an aspirin for later & makes her way to the door. When she opens it & brushes past it her sweater gets caught on the handle & pulls it up making her look rather rumpled. She gets to the elevator & starts straightening her sweater when the doors ding & open revealing a rather concerned looking Scully.

"Hello, Agent Rileigh." She greets cautiously.

"Agent Scully, its rather late isn't it?"

"I could say the same thing to you." Scully replies. "Where's Mulder?"

"Asleep, he's quite out of it honestly." Jade says while continuing to fix her sweater. Scully raises her eyebrow & stays in the elevator when Jade enters. "Weren't you going to see him?"

"I just needed to know he was okay, he wasn't picking up. Now I know he is I can leave."

"You trust my word?" Jade asks doubtfully.

"I don't think you're here to hurt us, physically, not after what Mulder told me happened on the plane. But so help me god I will find out what you're hiding about your past & if you try to hurt Mulder or the X-Files in anyway I will use it to take you down. Even if this disease kills me I will come back as one of Mulder's X-Files." Scully threatens.

"First things first, Agent Scully, I'm not here to hurt anyone or anything, I've just been assigned to you to help take all the work off of you. Secondly, I've destroyed my past for a good reason, its irrelevant to my life now. Every trace of it is gone, everything, so the only way you find out about my past is if I tell you & I don't believe that will ever happen. Its my business & mine alone." The elevator reaches the bottom floor & Jade walks purposefully out & home.

XOXOX

Please review & if you're gonna give me flames give me good ones! Give me flames to roast my vegetarian alternative of chicken, not flames that will burn my house down cuz if you burn my house down you're destroying my autograph off Gillian Anderson & then I'll cry.


	4. Hangovers & Suspicion

A/N I'm glad people are enjoying this story so far :D I know Scully seems like a bit of a bitch in the last chapter & in the others she's barely participating but she will don't worry, she'll have too, I'm planning on rewriting the entire series o.O I can try, right?

Also have people ever had random X-Files moments in real life? Like the toilet bubbling & you automatically think 'Flukeman'! Well I work in THE most popular grocery store in Europe ;) & we work with wheels & trollys a lot putting things out when I started hearing the exact squeaking of the indian guy in the episode 'Badlaa'. I automatically picked up the chocolate I was stacking & searched the floor for him & checking who wasn't speaking. T'is very creepy at 6am on only a few hours sleep. *Shudders*

ALSO: In this chapter you get to know a lil more about Agent Rileigh as it starts with her being woken up, much to her annoyance.

XOXOX

Jade was woke up that morning by a soft paw batting at her face playfully.

"Gah, Exley, whaddya want?" She slurred tiredly. The young cat continued to softly paw at her human's face. She glanced at the clock which read 6:17am & pushed herself up to lean against the headboard. The tortoise-shell colored cat stepped up onto her lap & started nuzzling her stomach affectionately & purring. "Too damn cute for your own good, bei." She murmured scratching the cats ears. "Do you have any idea what time it is?... No of course you don't, you're just hungry." As if in reply Exley chirped & stretched out on her human's lap. They stayed there for 10 minutes or so keeping eachother company until Exley decided they needed to get up. Jade followed her pet out into the joint living room/kitchen. It was simple enough & very tidy, the living room a burnt orange color with brown furniture & gold floor, cushions, & photo frames. There were few personal photos, her & some friends, an old pet, & an old photo from when she was 2 years old taken in 1978 with a dark haired, sad looking teenaged girl around 13, there was something about that picture which made her hesitant to get rid of it. She had asked continually who the girl in the picture with her but had received no answer. The kitchen was green with marble counters, she'd saved up for months to buy them, & a green & white tiled floor. She flicked the coffee pot on, on her way to the kitchen where she retrieved milk & filled Exley's bowl to the quarter mark then put it back. She mused on the fact that the only consistent reason she brought milk was for her cat but quickly pushed it to the back of her mind while she emptied half a can of catfood into Exley's food bowl. Reaching down to pet the cat briefly she also filled the cats water & dried food bowl.

"Exley, if there's a cat more spoiled then you I will be very surprised." She murmured, even though the cat could not respond, & anyway, she was distracted by a delicious white treat. Jade poured some coffee into her mug & waited till it was cool enough before swallowing it down with 2 ibuprofen. That was her hangover cure, some painkillers & a greasy egg McMuffin from McDonalds, the only time she went there. She next went to the bathroom to shower & brush her teeth. The bathroom was blue (The only logical color for a bathroom in her opinion) with hints of cream. Everything was neat & in its place & kept clean. Once she was finished there she made her way back to her bedroom in just her towel. Her bedroom was white, walls & floor, with black furniture. With it so white it wouldn't be expected to be still dazzling but it was. She was very proud of her home being 'Hers' & kept it almost sparkling, cleaning whenever she was free & having the carpet thoroughly cleaned every month by a professional, sometimes twice a month if Exley was feeling particularly rebellious. She opened the 'work' part of her fitted to the wall wardrobe (Yes everything was in a specific order, indeed she was that much of a neat freak) & picked out a white skirt suit with a gold blouse & gold 3-inch heels. She added the finishing touches & looked out the window for a weather check to see it looking rather dismal. She headed into the front hall, a light blue room with wooden floors, decorated with inexpensive vases & landscape pictures & reached for her coat off the coat stand. Opening the door she called & whistled for Exley, who trotted over at her own pace & shooed her out the door & through the hallways to the outside, luckily she was on the ground floor.

XOXOX

She entered the office at 8:30 to be greeted by an icy atmosphere. Mulder looked incredibly tense & hungover & Scully, well Scully just looked pissed.

"Morning." She stated tersely.

"Morning." Both of the senior Agents said in unison. Jade sighed & rolled her eyes. Again?! She inwardly cursed.

"Another paperwork day?" She asks, making her way over to what she has claimed as 'Her' desk.

"Yeah, found a possible case though so make sure you have bags packed just in case, Rileigh." Mulder replies. She bites her lip slightly thinking about the last name thing. Yesterday she was sure he was doing it to keep her at arms length but after last night she figured it was just a quirk & depending on how he acted today would determine its continued usage. For now she nods & sits at her work space, tidying it. She is disrupted by Scully bolting up & out the office, she & Mulder stand up but he puts an arm out to block her exit & turns to her. She opens her mouth to speak but he interrupts her.

"Rileigh, I just want to thank you for your maturity last night while I was... Not in control of myself & I hope it never happens again. But thank you, for your discretion & getting me home safely & going beyond what you really had to. Also... I apologise for the way I went around trying to dig up your past. I still don't trust you completely but I apologise for being so careless & disregarding your feelings."

"Agent Mulder-"

"Please, its Mulder."

"Okay, Mulder, I still don't trust you or Agent Scully & I have a feeling both are going to be Herculean tasks but if we carry on as we're being right now, open & honest I think we can salvage a good working relationship, hopefully I can get on with Agent Scully aswell but that's looking very doubtful at this minute." At this she reaches up & places a hand on his shoulder. "And you're welcome for last night & don't worry, its pretty much forgotten."

Its at this moment Scully walks in dabbing her nose with a bloody tissue & sees them, talking in hushed tones, Jade with her hand placed gently on Mulder's shoulder."

"Am I interrupting something?" She watches Mulder step back immediately whereas Rileigh merely slips her hand into her pocket. No shame, she mentally remarks.

"We were just talking about how nice it would be to salvage a decent working relationship after yesterdays... Events." Rileigh states. Scully nods, skeptically.

"Riiiiight." She drawls.

XOXOX

Exley is a real cat she's my cat & really is adoreabubble btw ;3

Please review & if you're gonna give me flames give me good ones! Give me flames to roast my vegetarian alternative of chicken, not flames that will burn my house down cuz if you burn my house down you're destroying my autograph off Gillian Anderson & then I'll cry.


	5. Small Potatoes

A/N: Jus watched the eppy One Breath & OMG when Skinner's talking about his experience in war, even though I've watched this eppy a brazilian times I teared up & literally wanted to hug my tv haha. Poor bastard. Well all I know is, in the future (Seasons 4-End) Jade is gonna be a comforter :D srsly what do people think of her? Constructive criticism is definitely welcome & praise even more so ;D

XOXOX

Jade was awoken that morning, not by her cats playful paws, but by the phone ringing. She growled & rolled over in the general direction of the phone, jolting awake as soon as she rolls too far & onto a sleeping Exley, resulting in a screech from both of them.

"Dammit!" She cursed & reached for the phone. "Whoever it is you better have a good reason for calling at..." She glances at the clock. "2:30am."

"Ooh so you're not a morning person." A male voice taunts.

"Dammit, Agent Mulder, 2:30 is not morning & you have one minute to explain before I hang up." She threatens.

"Remember the possible case I told you about yesterday? Well we're headed out today to West Virginia to solve it."

"When?" She murmurs tiredly.

"I'll pick you up after Scully, so about 7:30?" He offers.

"And you just had to call me This early?"

"No." He chuckles. "See you in a few hours, Rileigh." She grumbles & hangs up without bothering to reply before checking how Exley is & scratching her ears by way of an apology. She slips beneath the covers again & waits to fall asleep. And waits, & waits... She sighs angrily before pushing herself out of bed & storming to the sofa, flicking on the television & surfing for anything even slightly decent.

XOXOX

She stirs at the sound of someone banging at her door & glances at the clock through sleep laden eyes. 7:43am. SHIT!

"I'm coming, I'm coming!" She yells & the knocking stops. She stumbles to the door & unlocks all 4 locks & flings it open to see Mulder & Scully stood there impatiently with their mouths wide open at the state she answered the door in. She looks down at herself & blushes, her underwear barely covered by a skimpy lacy forest green night gown. "I'm sorry, after you called I couldn't sleep & fell asleep on the sofa." She apologises. She ushers them in. "Make yourself comfortable while I get ready, I'll be 20 minutes." She tells them flicking the coffeepot to on & telling them to help themselves to coffee. She then rushes into her bedroom & gets ready at top speed dressing in a plain black skirt-suit with a white blouse & black shoes. She pulls her prepared overnight bag & takes it into the living room where she grabs a mug of coffee & feeds the cat. Once finished with her coffee she hastily brushes her teeth. When she exits she sees the two agents crowded around the picture of her & the teen girl with something akin to reverence.

"Who is this?" Mulder asks her, strained.

"That's me as a baby." She replies.

"Who's the girl?"

"Um... I'm not sure, I asked & asked for years until there was no-one left To ask." She tells him.

"Her name is Samantha." He states. "And she's my sister."

"Oh... Well maybe you knew me as a baby then." Jade says, nervously.

"I doubt it." He almost growls. Scully places a calm hand on his arm.

"When was the picture taken?" She asks calmly & almost for the first time towards Jade, friendly.

"I-I guess I'm about 2 there so... 1978?" She deduces.

"Do you remember seeing her since then?" Scully questions & it starts feeling more like an interrogation.

"No, I don't even remember that time. What is this about?" Mulder speaks up again.

"My sister, Samantha, disappeared without a trace from my house right in front of me when she was eight, I was twelve. I haven't stopped searching."

"How do you know its her in the picture? That girls about 13, that's 5 years difference." She hated to say it. "How do you know she's still alive?"

"I know my own sister. If that photo was taken in 1978 then its the right age for her." He ignores the last question & she let's it slide.

"Where was this taken?" Scully asks.

"I honestly don't know. I'm sorry."

"Is there anyone that does know?" Jade merely shakes her head & bites her lip.

"Fox, would you... I mean, do you want that photograph? I can always have a copy made..." She trails off.

"Are you sure?" Mulder asks, looking like a small boy again asking his mother for ice-cream. She nods & Scully smiles warmly at her for the first time. He begins to take it out of the frame, fumbling with the back clasps.

"Oh, don't worry about the frame. I personally always thought the two were perfect for eachother." She smiles. He looks on the verge of tears as he reaches out and touches her arm.

"Thank you." He says with a wobbly smile. "Thank you."

XOXOX

The three drive down the unnamed highway as the rain hits the windows with a soft continuous 'Tap Tap Tap'. They had briefly discussed the contents of the case & the magazine it originates from lays limp in the sleeping Rileigh's lap.

"Do you think she's innocent?" Scully whispers to her partner.

"I think so, yeah. She seems to be anyway." He answers in a whisper.

"What about what happened the other night? Don't you think she was trying to get close to gain your trust?"

"Nothing happened the other night. We were drunk... Well I was. For how small she is she can certainly hold her alcohol."

"But Mulder-"

"Scully that's it, she took me home & then she left."

"Whatever you say Mulder."

XOXOX

Mulder & Rileigh stand beside eachother as they watch the Nelligan baby's tail swish from side to side. Mulder notes the sad but hopeful look on her face & stores it away for the future. Scully walks up to them & hangs up the phone, after a short conversation rife with quips she leads them to a medical room where they review medical charts for each of the babies where they determine that all 5 children have the same father & make their way to the only OBGYN's office in town. Mulder strolls off examining the place while Scully & Rileigh stay & try to calm down the couples. Everything is fairly calm until Mulder races down the halls chasing a balding chubby man. Rileigh steps in front of him & he slows slightly, enough for her to grab his shoulder when he tries to pass. He continues struggling & she takes him to the floor easily. That's when Mulder kneels down & pulls his pants down slightly to show a scar at the top of his butt.

"Check it out." He states, pleased with himself, as the surrounding couples gasp.

XOXOX

"What about you, Rileigh? If you could be anyone else for a day, who would you be?" Mulder asked as they stood on the Van Blundht's porch. She thought for a few seconds.

"I'd like to be someone cruel or insane." She answered. "To see what makes them like that." As she speaks the 'H' in Van Blundht falls off the wall & Eddie 'Snr' opens the door.

"What are you doing sneaking around on my porch?"

After a long discussion about Eddie Jr resulting in them finding out it is actually him, they chase him & when he is lost they start searching the house. Mulder opens a cabinet in the upstairs hall as Jade gets on her tip toes to reach for the door into the attic. A clattering sound startles her & she misses the string by centimetres.

"I'm alright." Mulder calls.

"What?" Scully shouts back.

"Could you give me a lift, Mulder?" He looks at Rileigh confused. "I can't reach." She elaborates. He bends down & wraps his arm around her legs lifting her onto his shoulder just as Scully comes up the stairs. Jade tugs the string slightly & a white powder falls, getting in her eyes & nose. She sneezes & rubs her face.

"Ech! You might wanna stay out of the way, Agent Scully." She pulls again, more firmly this time & a body rolls out in a large cloud of white powder. She coughs & covers her mouth as Mulder sets her back on the floor.

"Not so spry. You think the fall killed him?"

XOXOX

While Mulder is off questioning Amanda Nelligan, Rileigh assists Scully with the autopsy, handing her equipment etc while Scully tries to learn about her at the same time as the striated muscle tissue.

"So why do you have a picture of you & Samantha?"

"I honestly don't know, I was only a baby when it was took & its the only reminder I have of my childhood. That's the only reason I kept it."

"Why is it the only reminder?"

"Because, Agent Scully, as you can guess my childhood was interesting & that's all I need as a reminder."

"Why did you give it to Mulder then?"

"Because no matter how much sentimental value that picture has for me, he deserves it more." Jade sighs.

"How close have you gotten to Mulder?" Scully asks almost nonchalantly.

"I haven't, he trusts me as much as you." Scully raises her eyebrow & carries on what she was doing. Jade's eyes light up as she realises what Scully's thinking. "You think we fooled around." She states. Scully ignores her. "We didn't. I'm not attracted to him in the slightest."

"Why was your sweater rumpled when you left his the other night?" Scully questions.

"My sweater? Oh! I'd had quite a bit to drink aswell & it caught on the door handle." She explains. "I swear we didn't do anything. I'd never do that with my superior. Plus he was really drunk, I don't think he would have been able to do too much anyway." Scully nods calmly but the atmosphere feels lighter already. Scully finishes in silence & as soon as she tugs her rubber gloves off her phone rings. She talks to Mulder for a minute & when she hangs up informs Rileigh they need to get to the hospital for Mulder.

They meet him in a long corridor with an ice pack held to his head & arguing with a few men. When he's allowed to leave he tells the female agents his suspicions on there being no X-File & Scully, slightly puzzled, & Rileigh, excited to wrap up her first case, accept it & leave.

XOXOX

After discussing the case with Skinner all 3 agents make to leave.

"How was Agent Rileigh's first official case?" Skinner stops them with.

"She did rather... Excellently, sir. She's the one who found Van Blundht senior's body." Scully tells him. Rileigh smiles gratefully at her. "But perhaps her obvious talents are wasted down in the basement."

"I'm sure she'll be fine, & what are your thoughts Agent Mulder?" 'Mulder' stammers for a few seconds.

"She's uh- good, sir?" Skinner nods suspiciously.

"You two are dismissed." He tells the senior agents as Rileigh bites her lip. They leave & he tones down the stern expression needed to deal with the duo. "How do you think you're doing, Agent Rileigh?"

"Um, fine sir. After a bit of a rocky start."

"What do you mean, rocky?"

"I found out that Agent Mulder had been trying to dig through my past. Luckily he did not find anything." She explains.

"He's not likely to." Skinner remarks.

"I know, I still worry though."

"Agent Rileigh- Jade, I know your reasons to be concerned but your past is exactly that & its hidden. So don't worry too much."

"I know, sir. Thank you."

"Congratulations on closing your first X-File."

After leaving the office, Jade makes her way down to the basement where she finds 'Mulder' sat in his chair & Scully nowhere to be seen.

"Hello, Agent... Rileigh." Mulder greets her uncertainly.

"Hey Mulder." She replies. The room lapses into awkward silence for a moment. "So what are you going to do with that picture?" She asks.

"Picture? Oh, um, probably put it in an album or something."

"You're not going to keep it in its frame?"

"No, its only a picture." He states. Jade hums noncomittingly. "Well, bye." He says, standing up & walking out. She frowns & opens up the copy of the report on the X-File remembering what happened with Eddie impersonating his father.

"This isn't right." She mumbles as she walks out & locks the office door.

XOXOX

After driving all the way back to West Virginia she arrives at the hospital & finds Amanda Nelligan packing her things to leave.

"Miss Nelligan, did anything weird happen when you last saw Agent Mulder?"

"Well, kinda. He asked where he went." She chuckles. "What a weirdo."

"What did you tell him?"

Nothing, I didn't know."

"Thanks." Rileigh searches the mens locker room where she knows he last was & finds the door leading down to the basement area of the hospital. She searches it & finds nothing out of sorts & is about to leave when she hears banging.

"Hello?" She calls. She banging gets more furious & she hears a muffled voice calling her. She finds the door & sees Mulder through the window. "Mulder!?" She tries opening the door to find its locked & pulls 2 hair pins out of her pocket. After a few deliberate flicks of her wrist in the lock it clicks & he pulls the door open.

"Thank you!" He exclaims stepping out & inhaling the non too stale air. "Where did you learn to do that?"

"It doesn't matter, he's in DC pretending to be you."

"We gotta get Scully, he kept staring at her in the interview room." He shouts as he rushes down the corridor.

XOXOX

They burst in on Eddie, still acting as Mulder, & Scully about to kiss. As Scully gasps & stands up & Eddie morphs back into himself Jade looks back at Mulder next to her. Eddie shrugs.

"That... That's messed up." She comments. "Have your handcuffs?" She questions the other two agents who shake their heads still musing over what's just transpired. She pulls her cuffs out & walks over to Eddie then handcuffs him.

"Mulder... Where did you come from?" Scully asks nervously.

"He locked me in the hospital basement. Luckily Agent Rileigh came back for me."

"How did you know?"

"He didn't care about the picture." She shrugs.

XOXOX

Please review & if you're gonna give me flames give me good ones! Give me flames to roast my vegetarian alternative of chicken, not flames that will burn my house down cuz if you burn my house down you're destroying my autograph off Gillian Anderson & then I'll cry.


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